The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 6: The Road to Reading Ends
"The Gu and Zheng families don't have a marriage certificate, do they?"

Tong Huaqiong thought for a moment and asked Gu Dashu.

"No, not at all," Gu Dashu said.

Although early marriage and childbirth were common in this era, marriage contracts were still issued when a woman reached the age of marriageable age.

As for child brides, those are all private "transactions" between the two families. As long as the girl has not reached marriageable age, this "marriage" is not legally valid, and the child bride can be redeemed by her parents at any time.

Since there's no marriage certificate, things are easier to handle.

"When the two families arranged the marriage, it wasn't stipulated that Man'er had to go to the Zheng family, was it?" Tong Huaqiong asked again.

"Mother, have you forgotten?"

Gu Dashu glanced at Gu Taohua, the girl who was bending over and scrubbing clothes, and said, "Back then, you were afraid that the Zheng family would think Man'er was a young girl, so you only asked the matchmaker to vaguely tell the Zheng family that she was a girl from the Gu family, without making it clear who she was. You said that once Man'er married into the family, even if the Zheng family was not satisfied, they would have to swallow their pride and bear it after the deed was done."

Tong Huaqiong's eyes lit up with a smile.

To be fair, Tong Dajiao was quite thoughtful when it came to money.

Gu Dashu glanced at Gu Taohua again, his eyes lighting up with delight as he asked, "Mother, if you won't let Man'er go, are you suggesting Taohua go instead?"

Whether Man'er goes or Tao Hua goes, Gu Dashu has no objection.

As long as he can become the manager of Zheng's shop and live a life of luxury, that's all that matters.

It might be better for Tao Hua to go than for her niece to go.

The eldest son of the Zheng family won't live much longer. Peach Blossom will be a widow as soon as she enters the family, so the Zheng family will definitely have to adopt a son for her. Then he can put in a good word with Peach Blossom and get Yaozu adopted to inherit the Zheng family's huge fortune.

A son? Anyway, he and Liu Yue'e can still have more children.

"Gu Dashu, you heartless, despicable bastard, a born villain with a belly full of evil intentions. You want me to go to the Zheng family? Why don't you send your wife there? If your wife goes there, the eldest son of the Zheng family will have a ready-made son to smash pots and wail at the funeral." Gu Taohua heard that Gu Dashu was trying to take advantage of her, so she threw down the pair of underwear in her hand, put her hands on her hips and cursed.

“I’m not going. I don’t want to be a widow. Mother, think about it. You’re already a widow. How can you bear to make me a widow too? Mother, at least you’ve experienced men. I haven’t even experienced men yet.”

Gu Taohua acted coquettishly towards Tong Huaqiong, her chubby cheeks trembling.

Tong Huaqiong looked exasperated.

She was tempted to send Gu Taohua to the Zheng family, since raising such a fat girl would be a waste of food.

Although Gu Taohua was a bit chubby and had a few wicked thoughts, she was extremely filial to her mother.

Besides, wasn't her obesity and wickedness a result of Tong Dajiao's upbringing? Now that she's in Tong Dajiao's body, she has an obligation to bring Tao Hua back. Moreover, she can't bear to send a girl who's not even fourteen years old to become a widow.

“Peach Blossom, you eat six steamed buns and four bowls of rice in one meal. Who can afford to feed you? Girls in our village are already being matched when they are eleven or twelve years old. You are almost fourteen this year and no one is interested in you. Matchmakers avoid you. What good family can you find? So what if you go to the Zheng family and live a life of luxury and become a widow? You can eat fish and meat better than men.” Gu Dashu said.

"Shameless wretch, I'll make my second sister-in-law a widow today."

With a loud crash, Gu Taohua splashed a basin of laundry water on Gu Dashu's head, then grabbed a fire poker and swung it around.

Gu Dashu turned around and snatched the fire poker away, then started fighting with Gu Taohua.

Although Gu Dashu was an adult man, he couldn't withstand Gu Taohua's stone-like body, and soon Gu Dashu was pinned down by Gu Taohua.

Tong Huaqiong coldly watched Gu Dashu being crushed by peach blossoms, remaining unmoved by his wails.

He had designs on his own niece and sister.

Gu Dashu deserved to be beaten.

“Peach Blossom, Mother won’t let you go to the Zheng family,” Tong Huaqiong said.

Gu Taohua, sitting on Gu Dashu's lap, suddenly started sobbing.

After all, she was only fourteen years old, and she had had enough of her mother's neglect and disdain over the past three days.

Her mother's words put her mind at ease.

Mother still favors her.

“Peach Blossom, you’re a girl, and your niece is a girl too. You don’t want to go to the Zheng family, so why should Man’er go?” Tong Huaqiong took the opportunity to lecture her chubby daughter.

Gu Taohua opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

She had never thought about this question.

Gu Dashu was pressed down and his hands flailed wildly.

Tong Huaqiong didn't want to hold a funeral at home, so she ordered Gu Taohua to get up.

"Great Heat, if you make another move on Man'er and your niece, it won't just be that you're crushed by peach blossoms, I'll beat you to death!" Tong Huaqiong said, hefting the fire poker beside her. Gu Dashu felt as if he had escaped a disaster, clutching his ribs and nodding hurriedly.

“During the Great Heat, go to the private school in town and call Gu Jingzhe home. The Zheng family's troubles started because of him, and he must come home to discuss them.”

Gu Dashu said in a muffled voice, his voice trembling with pain, "No need to shout, Third Brother has a day off tomorrow."

“Just go when I tell you to. Tell Gu Jingzhe to bring the Zheng family’s money.” Tong Huaqiong said with a serious expression.

The two hundred taels of silver sent by the Zheng family are with Gu Jingzhe.

Gu Jingzhe must return the silver!

Only then can she be confident in resolving the Zheng family's affairs.

Gu Jingzhe returned home in the dark.

This was the most wicked bamboo in the Gu family, who would later become a high-ranking official of the second rank in the imperial court, but who committed numerous evil deeds and whose entire family was executed and their property confiscated.

When Tong Huaqiong saw Gu Jingzhe enter, she subconsciously picked up a fire poker.

"Mother, how are you? I heard from my second brother that you were knocked unconscious by my sister-in-law and fell onto the threshold for three days. It scared me to death."

Gu Jingzhe, carrying medicine and pastries, burst into tears as soon as she entered the room, burying her face in Tong Huaqiong's lap.

The expression and the crying didn't seem fake.

“My sister-in-law dared to bully Mother. I will divorce her on behalf of my brother.”

Gu Jingzhe stood up, about to cause trouble for Chen Sufen, when Tong Huaqiong slapped him across the face.

No matter how filial this wicked bamboo is, Tong Huaqiong cannot tolerate his attempt to sell his sister and niece to pave the way for his own future.

We must teach them a lesson as soon as we meet.

Gu Jingzhe covered his face, looking completely incredulous.

He was the apple of the Gu family's eye; ever since he passed the imperial examination, he had been able to do whatever he wanted in the Gu family.

His own mother actually hit him?

It seems that what my second brother said about Mother's drastic change in temperament was true.

"Have you wasted your education? Don't you understand the principle that an elder sister-in-law is like a mother? If you divorce your sister-in-law, it's like divorcing your mother!" Tong Huaqiong was panting with anger.

"Where is the silver from the Zheng family?" Tong Huaqiong asked, reaching out her hand.

Gu Jingzhe usually listened to his widowed mother. His second brother told him to bring the silver home, and he dared not disobey.

"it's here."

Gu Jingzhe's face burned with embarrassment as he took off the bundle of silver from his body and handed it to Tong Huaqiong.

"Why is fifty taels missing?"

Tong Huaqiong counted and then looked up.

"My son paid for the first year's tuition at Wanliu Academy."

Mentioning Gu Jingzhe of Wanliu Academy, everyone's voices rose. The teacher of Wanliu Academy tested his knowledge and was very satisfied with him.

Ten days later he will go to Wanliu Academy to study, but at this time Gu Jingzhe is a little uneasy. He has learned from his second brother that the family plans to break off the engagement with the Zheng family.

If Man'er doesn't go to the Zheng family, it's questionable whether he can still go to Wanliu Academy.

"Is it possible to get it back?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Gu Jingzhe was shocked; his mother was not planning to let him go to Wanliu Academy.

How does this work?
He had been planning for so long, he absolutely could not disrupt his own plans.

The prefectural education commissioner read his provincial examination paper and said he had great potential. He believed that the boy should become a high-ranking official through the imperial examination and should not be buried by the private school in the town.

The private school in town has only produced one scholar in so many years, how can it compare to Wanliu Academy?
“Mother, I am the hope of the whole family. I swear I will become a high-ranking official and earn you an imperial title. If I stay in the private school in town, when will I ever get ahead? I must go to Wanliu Academy,” Gu Jingzhe said anxiously.

"Give me a break. You can't even be a decent human being, yet you want to be a high-ranking official. What a load of rubbish! A heartless rotten seed like you, who cheats his sister and niece, has no future? Not only will I not let you go to Wanliu Academy, but you don't even need to study anymore. From now on, you can stay home and farm."

Given her current temperament, if she were to read this evil bamboo, she would become a locust that wreaks havoc on the area, and might even cause her to lose her head.

Let's just cut off his path to education!
(End of this chapter)